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LTC Stephen F.
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Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that July 11 is the anniversary of the birth of American biologist and wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin who is a liberal when it comes to conservation He believes that humans have a large role to play - in that I concur.
Happy 53rd Birthday Jeffrey Corwin with many happy returns!

Jeff Corwin funny clips part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWvH8xrN2W8

Images:
1. Jeffrey Corwin holding a baby crocodilian
2. Jeffrey Corwin with elephant
3. Jeffrey Corwin with sea turtle.

Background from ietravel.com/blog/jeff-corwin-experience-interview-with-emmy-winning-wildlife-conservation-expert
"Jeff Corwin initially rose to fame as a TV host in the late ‘90s, first on the Disney Channel’s Going Wild With Jeff Corwin and later on the Animal Planet shows Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin’s Quest.
But Corwin (link sends e-mail) also walks the walk of protecting wildlife off screen as well. He’s got a Bachelors degree in bachelor of science degrees in Biology and Anthropology, a Masters in Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation, an honorary doctorate in public education, and a history of working with the United Nations Environmental Program (link sends e-mail) that dates back to his teens.
For the past five years he’s been focused on hosting and executive producing ABC’s Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin, which won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Travel Program in 2014. Later this year he’ll also be giving enriching lectures and accompanying Serengeti National Park game drives for two International Expeditions Tanzania safaris.

We recently spoke with Corwin about his early interest in wildlife conservation, his love of Tanzania, and what he enjoys most about interacting with nature-lovers.

How did you originally fall in love with animals and nature?
I’ve always been a nature buff. When I was five years old I made a make-shift nature museum in the apartment building where we lived in Massachusetts. As soon as I could get out into the wilderness, that was the catalyst that inspired my love for nature and wildlife. Growing up and seeing the poor relationship people had with the wildlife around them inspired my interest in conservation.

Jeff Corwin safari animals
When you went to the University of Massachusetts, you primarily focused on bats and snakes. What fascinated you about them?
The snake was the first wild creature I ever saw. I don’t know if it was the influence of seeing something like that so young, but I knew I’d be studying snakes for the rest of my life. By the time I worked my way through college, I’d become very strong with field experience, life experience and then an education in biological sciences. I further developed that in graduate school, where I did graduate work in bats. I felt that these creatures were misunderstood, and also important. It all sort of came to a head when I went to graduate school.
You’re coming up on the 20th anniversary of your influential Disney Channel series, Going Wild With Jeff Corwin. How do you feel people’s understanding of conservation-related issues has changed over that time?
Good people make bad decisions because they lack good information. My interest [in doing TV] was to inspire them to understand and protect this world. When I started with my first series in 1997, it was a big leap for Disney to build a show around a guy who likes snakes.
There are people who watched my show as kids and are now adults! I still feel like that 27-year-old kid in the jungle. But you’re reminded of how old you are when you see someone in their twenties who just got their Veterinary degree, and they’re telling you they became a vet partially because of the experiences they had with you on TV when they were growing up. So I think people are becoming much more aware of these environmental issues, and care more about them than they did 20 years ago.

Jeff Corwin with Elephant African Safari
Later this year you’re giving lectures and accompanying game drives on two International Expeditions trips in Tanzania. What is it about Tanzania that makes it a special place for you?
I wanted to pick a place that both guests and I would enjoy. I love Tanzania – the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, Zanzibar… East Africa provides an iconic, culturally rich and naturally dynamic experience that is truly unrivaled. If it’s done right, you can not only get a feeling for the conservation challenges Africa is currently facing, but you also get this timeless experience of how it hasn’t changed for millennia.
You see these charismatic creatures moving by the thousands during the Great Migration, but then you also see issues with water and climate change and species exploitation, which will give you the information to empower you to be a part of the solution.

What do you get out of this hands-on, face-to-face interaction with travelers who clearly care deeply about nature and wildlife?
I’m very fortunate because, when I do these experiences, I often get to get out of the Range Rover/Land Cruiser and do something that a lot of folks couldn’t do. I get to help collar a lion, or track a poacher, or move a rhino out of harm’s way to a sanctuary. Those experiences I’ve had as a conservationist and television presenter have provided me with an understanding that I get very excited about sharing with people. Whether I’m on that game drive with you, or whether it’s an intimate lecture in the evening about how a Dung Beetle is vital to the web of life in this environment, how the venom of a Black Mamba works, or the energy infusion that comes with a generation of protein-packed antelope in the ecosystem, I get very excited about sharing that experience.

I’ll never forget the first time I went to East Africa in my early twenties, and then going back as a television presenter many times. Every time I go there, it brings something new and something great. It never gets old. So I’m really excited about sharing my passion and the inspiration I’ve gotten from East Africa with International Expeditions’ travelers.

There are obviously a lot of people who care about conservation and want to make a positive difference in the world. What can the average person do to help?
I think the greatest threat to conservation is a sense of being void of power. The most important step is to recognize your power as a consumer and your civic power within your community. It truly begins in your backyard– a local river, a local ecosystem, a regional species that’s in trouble. It is your responsibility to be a good steward.
We lose an entire species from our planet approximately every 20 minutes. Ultimately, the world we inhabit today, we’re not just inheriting it from our ancestors. We’re also borrowing it from our children.

Bret Love is a journalist/editor with 23 years of print and online experience, whose clients have ranged from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Rolling Stone to National Geographic and Yahoo Travel. He is the co-founder of ecotourism website Green Global Travel (link sends e-mail) and Green Travel Media."



FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown CMSgt (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
Lt Col Charlie Brown
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Thank you for the mention and great info share
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
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I particularly liked his Animal Planet shows
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
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Great bio share sir, thank you.
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